War on Terrorism

Friday, April 21, 2017

On April 19, Chief Judge Beryl A. Howell of the U.S.
District Court for the District of Columbia entered an order that revoked the
naturalized U.S. citizenship of a confessed al-Qaeda operative, restrained and
enjoined him from claiming any rights, privileges, or advantages of U.S.
citizenship and ordered him to immediately surrender and deliver his
Certificate of Naturalization and any other indicia of U.S. citizenship to
federal authorities, the Justice Department announced.

“The Justice Department is committed to protecting our
nation’s national security and will aggressively pursue denaturalization of
known or suspected terrorists,” said Attorney General Jeff Sessions. “This case
demonstrates the Department’s commitment to using all tools at its disposal,
both criminally and civilly, to strategically enforce our nation’s immigration
laws and to disrupt international terrorism. I congratulate the aggressive and
effective investigation and prosecution by the Department of Justice team. We
will protect our national security and our borders, and when we identify
individuals tied to foreign terrorist organizations who procured their U.S.
citizenship by fraud, we will initiate denaturalization proceedings - whether
you reside here or abroad - and ensure you are denied entry into the United
States.”

Khaled Abu al-Dahab, 57, an Egyptian-born naturalized U.S.
citizen and former Silicon Valley car salesman is a confessed member of the
Egyptian Islamic Jihad (EIJ) terrorist organization. Al-Dahab admitted to attending
a training camp near Jalalabad, Afghanistan, where he received military-style
training and taught foreign fighters to fly hang gliders in preparation for
terrorist attacks. Moreover, al-Dahab told the FBI that, during the period in
which he was supposed to establish the good moral character to naturalize under
the Immigration and Nationality Act, he operated a communications hub for EIJ
operatives out of his Santa Clara, California apartment. He facilitated the
transfer of fraudulent passports, documents, money and other items by, between
and among EIJ members, and researched communications devices and helicopter
piloting at the direction of EIJ leadership. Al-Dahab’s communication hub
materially assisted in the perpetration of terrorist attacks in Egypt and
Pakistan.

Additionally, al-Dahab admitted to recruiting Islamic
Americans into the al-Qaeda terrorist organization during his 12-year residence
in California. Al-Dahab told the investigators that Osama bin Laden was eager
to recruit American citizens of Middle Eastern descent because their U.S.
passports could be used to facilitate international travel by al Qaeda
terrorists, and that bin Laden personally congratulated him for this work.
Al-Dahab was naturalized as a U.S. citizen on Feb. 7, 1997. Upon departing the
United States sometime in 1998, al-Dahab was arrested by Egyptian authorities.
He was tried, convicted and sentenced to 15 years in prison for terrorism
related offenses.

On April 8, 2015, the United States filed a civil action seeking
the revocation of al-Dahab’s naturalized U.S. citizenship on the grounds that
he illegally procured his citizenship on account of his false written
statements and testimony during his naturalization proceedings regarding his
current and past addresses; employment history; travel outside the United
States; marital history; prior false testimony; prior claims of U.S.
citizenship; commission of crimes for which he had not been arrested; and
membership in or association with EIJ, as well as his affiliation with an
organization that advocated terrorism. The United States also alleged al-Dahab
should also be denaturalized because he procured his citizenship by concealment
of a material fact or by willful misrepresentation due his concealment of these
matters. The United States obtained the district court’s permission to serve
the complaint on al-Dahab in Egypt via Facebook and electronic mail.

“The Department’s Office of Immigration Litigation –
District Court Section will continue to pursue denaturalization proceedings
against known or suspected terrorists who procured their citizenship by fraud,”
said Acting Assistant Attorney General Chad A. Readler of the Justice
Department’s Civil Division. “The U.S. government is dedicated to strengthening
the security of our nation and preventing the exploitation of our nation’s
immigration system by those who would do harm to our country.”

Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, a naturalized
U.S. citizen’s citizenship may be revoked, and his certificate of naturalization
canceled, if the naturalization was illegally procured or procured by
concealment of a material fact or by willful misrepresentation.

This case was investigated by the Civil Division’s Office of
Immigration Litigation, District Court Section (OIL-DCS) and the FBI. The
litigation was handled by Christopher W. Dempsey, Chief of the National
Security and Affirmative Litigation Unit within OIL-DCS, with substantial
assistance by FBI Special Agent Rami G. Nimri.

Wednesday, April 19, 2017

Terrence J. McNeil, 24, of Akron, Ohio, pleaded guilty to
five counts of solicitation to commit a crime of violence and five counts of
making threatening interstate communications involving his soliciting the
murder of members of the U.S. military.

The announcement was made by Acting Assistant Attorney
General for National Security Mary B. McCord, Acting U.S. Attorney David A.
Sierleja for the Northern District of Ohio and Special Agent in Charge Stephen
D. Anthony of the FBI’s Cleveland Division.

“Terrence McNeil pleaded guilty to soliciting the murder of
members of our military. He disseminated ISIL’s violent rhetoric, circulated
U.S. military personnel information, and explicitly called for the killing of
American service members in their homes and communities. Now, he will be held
accountable,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General McCord. “The National
Security Division’s highest priority is counterterrorism. We will continue to
use all of our tools to disrupt those who use social media to threaten acts of
violence against our military members and their families, on behalf of
terrorist organizations.”

“This case demonstrates the challenges faced by law
enforcement in confronting global terrorism,” said Acting U.S. Attorney
Sierleja. “It highlights the dangers posed by terrorists committed to carrying
out attacks here in the United States and their use of social media to
accomplish their mission. The message should be clear that individuals who
engage in this behavior will be aggressively prosecuted.”

“While we aggressively defend First Amendment rights, the
individual arrested went far beyond free speech by reposting names and
addresses of 100 U.S. service members, all with the intent to have them
killed,” said Special Agent in Charge Anthony. “We will remain vigilant in our
efforts to stop those who wish to support these despicable acts.”

According to documents filed in the case:

McNeil, a U.S. citizen, professed his support on social
media on numerous occasions for the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a
designated foreign terrorist organization. On or about Sept. 24, 2015, using a
Tumblr account, McNeil reblogged a file with the banner “Islamic State Hacking
Division,” followed by “Target: United States Military” and “Leak: Addresses of
100 U.S. Military Personnel.”

The file type is a .gif file, which allows multiple still
images to be looped in one file, with a timed delay between each image. The
text of the first file reads “O Brothers in America, know that the jihad
against the crusaders is not limited to the lands of the Khilafah, it is a
world-wide jihad and their war is not just a war against the Islamic State, it
is a war against Islam…Know that it is wajib (translated to “necessary”) for
you to kill these kuffar! and now we have made it easy for you by giving you
addresses, all you need to do is take the final step, so what are you waiting
for? Kill them in their own lands, behead them in their own homes, stab them to
death as they walk their streets thinking that they are safe…”

The file then loops several dozen photographs, purportedly
of U.S. military personnel, along with their respective name, address and
military branch. The final image looped is a picture of a handgun and a knife
with text that reads “…and kill them wherever you find them…”

The defendant posted multiple other kill lists in late 2015,
all of which repeated the same refrain, calling on others to seek out and
murder U.S. servicemen and women.

McNeil is scheduled to be sentenced on August 2. Under the
terms of his plea agreement, he faces a sentence of between 15 and 20 years in
prison.

The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force in Cleveland
investigated this case. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S.
Attorney Christos Georgalis and Michelle Baeppler for the Northern District of
Ohio, with assistance from Trial Attorney Jennifer Levy of the National
Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.

Harlem Suarez, aka “Almlak Benitez,” 23, of Monroe County,
Florida, was sentenced to life in prison for attempting to use a weapon of mass
destruction, an explosive device, and attempting to provide material support to
Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist
organization.

The announcement was made by Acting Assistant Attorney General
for National Security Mary B. McCord, U.S. Attorney Benjamin G. Greenberg for
the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge George L. Piro of the
FBI’s Miami Field Office, and members of the South Florida Joint Terrorism Task
Force (JTTF). Suarez was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jose E. Martinez in
Key West to life in prison for the weapon of mass of mass destruction count of
conviction and a concurrent term of 20 years in prison for attempting to
provide material support.

Suarez, a U.S. legal resident and citizen of Cuba, was
convicted at trial in Key West, Florida on January 27, of knowingly attempting
to use a weapon of mass destruction against a person or property within the
U.S., in violation of Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 2332a(a)(2) and attempting
to provide material support to a terrorist organization, in violation of Title
18, U.S. Code, Section 2339B.

According to evidence introduced at trial, in April 2015,
Suarez’s Facebook postings contained extremist rhetoric and promoted ISIS.
Evidence further indicated that Suarez told an FBI confidential human source
that he wanted to make a “timer bomb.” Suarez purchased components for this
device, which was to contain galvanized nails, be concealed in a backpack and
be remotely detonated by a cellular telephone. Suarez intended to bury the
device at a public beach in Key West and then detonate it.

Mr. Greenberg commended the investigative efforts of the
FBI; South Florida JTTF, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives;
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations; Key
West Police Department, Monroe County Sheriff’s Office;s and Palm Beach County
Sheriff’s Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys
Marc S. Anton and Karen E. Gilbert with assistance from the National Security
Division’s Counterterrorism Section.